It’s Open Season on Ticks

Protect yourself from tickborne disease this hunting season

Ticks feed on the blood of animals (such as rodents, 

rabbits, deer and birds) but will bite people too. 

Ticks live in grassy or wooded areas, or on animals. 

Hunting brings you in close contact with ticks, so 

take the proper safety precautions to reduce your 

chances of being bitten. 

• Treat your clothing and gear with 0.5% 

permethrin before you hunt (always 

follow product instructions).

• Tuck your pants into your socks or 

boots to prevent tick bites.

Ticks can carry germs that cause serious and sometimes deadly diseases like Lyme disease, 

ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. Frequent tick checks and prompt 

removal of ticks increase the likelihood of removing a tick before it can spread disease.

• Shower after returning from the outdoors.

• Perform tick checks after being outside in tick habitat.

• If you see a tick, remove it immediately using tweezers.

• Call your healthcare provider right away if you feel ill or develop a fever or rash after spending 

time in areas where ticks may be found. Tell them if you remember being bitten by a tick.

In general, CDC does not recommend 

taking antibiotics after tick bites to 

prevent tickborne diseases. 

However, in certain circumstances, 

a single dose of doxycycline after a 

tick bite may lower your risk 

of Lyme disease. 

Consider talking to your healthcare 

provider if you live in an area where 

Lyme disease is common.

WHERE TO CHECK FOR TICKS

IN AND AROUND

THE HAIR

IN AND AROUND

THE EARS

INSIDE THE 

BELLY BUTTON

UNDER

THE ARMS

AROUND

THE WAIST

BETWEEN

THE LEGS

BACK OF

THE KNEES

CS 327602-A | October 27, 2021
How to safely remove a tick

The best method for removing ticks is to grasp it with tweezers as close to the skin as possible 

and pull up gently. Never use gasoline, kerosene, petroleum jelly, fingernail polish or matches to 

kill or drive a tick out once it has been embedded.

Ticks and tickborne diseases in the United States

Image of the most common ticks 

in the United States.

The most common ticks in the United States are:

• Blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis): Can carry the 

germs that cause Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis 

and Powassan virus disease. Blacklegged ticks are 

widely distributed across the eastern United States.

• Lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum): Can 

carry the germs that cause ehrlichiosis, tularemia and 

the Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI). 

Lone star ticks are widely distributed in the eastern 

United States, but more common in the South.

• American dog tick (Dermacentor variablis): Can 

carry the germs that cause Rocky Mountain spotted 

fever (RMSF) and tularemia. American dog ticks 

are widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains, 

also in limited areas on the Pacific coast.

Many tickborne diseases, such as Lyme disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and RMSF can be 

treated effectively if caught early. Be sure to tell your doctor about any history of tick bites or 

outdoor activities where you might have been exposed to ticks. Many people who become ill do 

not remember seeing a tick. 

Animals can carry diseases which may affect humans, including brucellosis, tularemia and rabies. 

Consider wearing gloves when dressing or butchering game, and wash hands thoroughly.

Remember...on your next hunt,

Target the Tick

• Treat your clothing with permethrin

• Tuck pants into boots or socks

• Shower when you return from a hunt

• Perform tick checks after being 

outside in tick habitat

• If you develop a fever or rash, call your doctor Image of tick in a rifle sight.

For more information on ticks, visit www.cdc.gov/ticks